Of wiggly little bottoms and sleepy eyes

An earlier post on bringing up my kids, aimed primarily at humour, also brought about an element of "OMG" with it. Many young, yet-to-be-mothers (and fathers) were concerned that my nerve racking discovery may well mean dwindling population figures (and no thanks to you, Mister 3G-pe-beejee!! P.S. It took me WEEKS of careful listening to figure what the words in the song of the add was all about!).

So here I bring out the pros to all the cons that I lamented about in the last post. I have to be honest here, though. It was never a smooth ride on a well lit highway - and it never will be. My well wishers in all sizes and ages (all the bhabhis, didis and aunties to be given due credit here - 'coz so far, things have shaped up pretty much the way they said it would...) have told me the bumpy, blink-and-you-will-miss-a-milestone ride called parenting will never end till you breathe your last. But then, looking at the brighter side of life, being a parent is like learning how to drive in a BMW convertible - you will never want to sit in the back seat and let go of the steering wheel.

So here goes my random list of memories that keep me smiling ear to ear when I look at my kids.

1. How I fell in love the moment I held my first-born in my hands. I thought my heart would just burst with varied emotions. I also thought that I would never be able to love anyone as much I did her. I was proved wrong. With the second one, I fell in love with the first kick in my tummy - I didn't even need to see him to know that I was hooked for life - lock, stock and barrel.
2. How they run up the flight of stairs EVERY evening, racing to reach me first when they come back from school. Their little arms and faces telling me what I can never hear enough of - that I am the most important person in their lives.
3. My daughter brought back a prize she won in school - bright shiny wrapping paper still on! She hadn't even opened it to see what it was, because she wanted me to see it. Beats even the imaginary Booker on the bookshelf!
4. When they bring back little red stars in their school books, you can't help but smile. And you know your smile makes their day - talk about multiple benefits! 
5. The pleasure of seeing wide-eyed comprehension and awe when you explain something complex - like photosynthesis (for the 8 year old) or how to write an '8' without lifting your pencil off the paper (for the 3 year old)
6. Dressing up a squeaky clean 3 year old in their 'nighty-night' pajamas, or the excited 8 year old for her dance recital.
7. The 'tickle-tickle' war games on the bed, the water wars in the bath
8. All the firsts - the first pearly tooth, first word (which incidentally was not "Mamma" for either of them - but who cares!), first day at school, first time on stage, first 'real' wristwatch, first school picnic...... and all the others yet to come.
9. How my son once got hold of my nail paint, painted his LIPS with it, and came to show me the result. (After nearly a heart attack and half an hour of scrubbing his face, I finally started laughing)
10. How they think EVERYTHING can be repaired by their Dad - even if it means that Dad secretly gets a new one to replace the ones that he can't mend!
11. How they fall asleep in the middle of eating, or how they purr in their sleep. (OK.. it may be a snore, but sure sounds like purring!)



"Look Mom - I can eat and sleep at the same time"

12. How they think their Dad is cooler than Krishh or even Ben 10 ! (Lucky Dads - all they need to do is tell tall tales and ruffle their hair, and he's super Dad.)
13. How they outgrow their clothes and their shoes, and you know you must be doing SOMETHING right for them to grow like weeds!
14. How they sometimes do stuff like sharing their toys, or telling the truth - to make you realize how YOU possibly can raise a good person after all...

I am not saying that things will always remain the way they do today. I know the kids will outgrow the tickle games, wiggly-bottom dances and the hero worshipping. But if I am to believe all that my mom told me, I am never going to outgrow being a parent.

If you liked this post, catch a hilarious take on marriage here , which incidentally, is also one of the most popular posts on this blog!! Happy reading